Jesse Jackson A Master, Inside And Out

May 04, 1999|By DAVID LIGHTMAN; Washington Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON — The Rev. Jesse Jackson has proven himself the master outsider -- and the master insider. And perhaps more important, he has again reminded America he's not a relic ready for the back page of a history book.

Jackson has lived in parallel political universes now for a generation -- and he used this dual role to great advantage as he returned Monday to the United States after securing the release of three American POWs from Serbia.

His insider/outsider persona was freshly on display upon his return. While President Clinton thanked Jackson, the president also rejected his call for a halt to the bombing of Serb targets. Jackson's response was classically dignified one minute, blunt the next.

``We must seize this moment to take the step to dramatic diplomacy from bloody, protracted war,'' he said. But he also said the continued bombing was ``in some sense the arrogance of power.''

This is the kind of talk that has given Jackson a role perhaps unique in American life.

His eloquence and his record give him credibility with the political and corporate establishment around the world. Yet his skepticism and his core beliefs -- that the world needs to be a more moral place -- make him enough of a maverick to move effortlessly in places where most CEOs or American government officials would be lost, or be hooted out of the room.

His 1984 and 1988 runs for president made him a serious player in national politics. But his unorthodox campaigns, which relied less on political endorsements and money than the support of disenfranchised constituencies, left him off anyone's serious list for vice president.

His latest triumph adds to an international cachet that began to develop 15 years ago, when he won freedom for Navy flier Lt. Robert O. Goodman Jr., from Syria, and later that year 48 people, including 22 Americans, held in Cuban prisons.

Still, no one has seriously considered Jackson for any diplomatic post; his role as an insider is limited. Jackson had appeared hurt by this failure to allow him a seat in the Cabinet room or the boardroom as anything but an entertaining guest -- but in recent years, he has seemed to make his peace with his role. And his insider-outsider ways probably helped him with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

``Maybe these governments think that he's rebel enough that they're thumbing their nose at us by dealing with him,'' said Rep. Sam Gejdenson, D-2nd District, top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee.

Perhaps more important for Jackson, his newest coup is a reminder that the 57-year-old preacher is not ready to fade into history.

He remains active, hosting a CNN show and remaining involved in seeking economic justice for the oppressed through his Operation PUSH. His son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is considered to be one of Washington's future stars.

When Jackson first ran for president in 1984, with a shoestring, hastily planned operation, he straddled the worlds of new and old black leadership. His 1984 race became historic, not only for its passion, but its ability to win votes. Jackson's 1988 campaign organizaton was more sophisticated and made strong showings in some states.

He preaches what he practiced 32 years ago with Operation Breadbasket: that the establishment must do the morally correct thing. Sometimes that involves private persuasion, sometimes it means using the media. And it rarely means something is impossible.

``Like any good political person, he has chutzpah and he knows how to get things done,'' said Stephen Hess, an analyst at Washington's Brookings Institution. Whether Jackson's latest venture will change U.S. and NATO policy toward the war seems unlikely, but it's reminder that he is alive, well and available to his government.

``Someone like this is good for an administration because if he fails, the White House can deny he was doing their bidding,'' Hess said. ``You want people like this.''